Oregon St. Struggles, but Wins

Ken Simonton scored two touchdowns and ran for 169 yards as No. 22 Oregon State bounced back from a season-opening loss to beat New Mexico State, 27-22, Saturday night at Las Cruces, N.M.

Simonton, the Beavers’ career rushing leader with 4,284 yards, scored on a pair of one-yard runs as Oregon State dodged the upset against a school that has had only three winning seasons since 1967.

Oregon State (1-1) lost to No. 19 Fresno State Sunday and didn’t put away New Mexico State (0-3) until Mitch Meeuwsen recovered an onside kick with 1:26 left in the game.

It was another sluggish performance by the penalty-plagued Beavers, who went 11-1 last season, gained a share of the Pacific-10 title and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

Kenton Keith’s 2-yard run and a 31-yard pass from K.C. Enzminger to Manwell Talbert, both in the fourth quarter, rallied the Aggies from a 24-9 deficit. Keith’s score was set up by a pass interference call on Oregon State’s D.J. Coote in the end zone on a fourth-and-18 play.

Oregon State took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on Simonton’s one-yard run and a 23-yard run by Patrick McCall.

The Aggies, playing their only home game in the first seven weeks of the season, cut it to 14-9 at halftime on a 26-yard field goal by Dario Aguinaga and Keith’s one-yard run.

After Aguinaga’s field goal, New Mexico State’s Tyrone Gifford intercepted Jonathan Smith’s pass at the Aggies’ 43. From there, Enzminger and tailback Walter Taylor picked apart the Oregon State defense with option plays.

Simonton’s first touchdown was set up by the passing of Smith, who completed passes of 11 yards to Tim Euhus and 15 and 23 yards to James Newson in the drive. Smith’s first pass to Newson, on third-and-10, bounced off two defenders and into Newson’s hands at the Aggies’ 23.

Two plays later, Smith found Newson open over the middle to the 1-yard line. On the next play, Simonton leaped over a pile of defenders.

The Beavers scored again after New Mexico State came up empty on a fake field goal attempt. The Aggies drove to the Oregon State 3-yard line before the Beavers held and backup quarterback Buck Pierce’s pass off the fake field goal attempt dropped short of the intended receiver.

No. 7 Oregon 24, Utah 10-Joey Harrington

completing 17 of 27 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns at Eugene, Ore. to lead the Ducks (2-0) to their 22nd consecutive home-field victory. The last time the Ducks lost a nonconference game at home was to Utah (1-1) in 1994-the last season Oregon went to the Rose Bowl.

The scoring passes, both to Keenan Howry, put Harrington in a tie with Dan Fouts at 37 for most Oregon career touchdown passes. Harrington also had no interceptions after criticizing himself for throwing two last week in a 31-28 comeback victory in the season opener against Wisconsin, a team that intercepted him three times to beat the Ducks last year.

Utah had a huge advantage in time of possession, 35:44 to 24:16, but had five less total yards than Oregon (377 to 332). Oregon managed only 107 yards rushing in 32 carries.

Oregon is off next week before opening Pacific 10 play against USC at the Coliseum on Sept. 22.

Brigham Young 44, California 16-Brandon Doman rushed for three touchdowns and passed for three more for the Cougars at Berkeley, Calif.

BYU (3-0) has scored 166 points this season, bringing back memories of high-scoring teams in LaVell Edwards’ heyday. New coach Gary Crowton’s inventive attack started slowly against Cal, but BYU scored six consecutive touchdowns after a scoreless first quarter.

California (0-2) suffered its second consecutive embarrassing home loss under embattled coach Tom Holmoe, a BYU alumnus.

Washington State 41, Boise State 20-Jason Gesser threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns-two to Nakoa McElrath-at Boise, Idaho as the Cougars (2-0) end the Broncos’ 14-game home-field winning streak.